Vergance
by fringeperson
Summary: "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." Obi-Wan said. Someone decided to see to it that he could deliver. Oneshot, drabble, complete, don't own.


"Your powers are weak, old man," Darth Vader mocked.

"You can't win, Darth," Obi-Wan countered. "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."

Their lightsabers clashed once more, striking and humming and hissing.

"You should not have come back," the Sith apprentice almost-lamented.

That near-sorrow was not in the least communicated through their clash, however. It was not the acrobatic fight of Mustafa, nor could it be. Obi-Wan was, as his former Padawan had noted, an old man now. Fighting against the Sith was for younger people than he.

At least, to counterpoint his own age, he knew that his opponent had stiff, robotic limbs and was so very dependant on the life-support that he wore.

The gentle clank of the plasteel armour drew his attention from his opponent for a moment, and the old man smiled to see that the young ones were taking advantage of the distraction his fight with Vader was proving to be.

" _It's alright now,"_ the familiar voice (one he had long associated with the Force when it felt like being direct) whispered in his ear. _"Come away. You are a luminous being, not crude matter."_

Overtaken by serenity, Obi-Wan raised his lightsaber in a final salute, and offered no resistance as his opponent brought his glowing red lightsaber against him.

~oOo~

"Well, that was impressive," a voice said.

He blinked, and then wondered that he could.

There was a deep chuckle behind him, and Obi-Wan turned.

"You barely left behind your outer robe," said the dark-haired man that Obi-Wan found standing there. "Yes, very impressive indeed, Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"You have me at a disadvantage," Obi-Wan said politely.

"Revan," the man offered with a solemn incline of the head. "The only Jedi in history to have been redeemed after falling into the path and ways of the Sith, and lived long enough to right my wrongs myself."

"Then it is an honour to meet you," Obi-Wan said, "though... I had hoped to greet my old master."

Revan chuckled. "You will," he agreed. "But the Force isn't finished with you, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You promised your fallen Padawan that you would become more powerful than he could imagine. I intend to make sure you can fulfil that promise."

Obi-Wan blinked in confusion.

The man who called himself Revan smiled.

~oOo~

Quantum theory, in laymans terms, suggests that for every choice a person makes, there is an alternative universe where they made a different choice.

In Ben Kenobi's life, long ago, he'd once made a move to leave the Council room even though he knew his Master's intention to bring Anakin Skywalker to their attention.

In another, young Obi-Wan had simply rolled his eyes skyward and appealed to the Force to give him patience with his Master and his bull-headedness. Such an insignificant difference, but one that could – and would – be taken advantage of, all the same.

From within the Force, the one called Revan smirked.

Ben had spent years within the Force, lifetimes even, learning all that Revan insisted on teaching him. Some of that, the ancient Jedi had learned in his life, some he had learned only after he became one with the Force. All of it, he crammed into his new companion's head while they watched over Luke, Leia, Han and the Rebel Alliance.

In that reality, Sidious was defeated, but the cost of life and trust and freedom was... nearly prohibitive.

In this reality, Revan worked with the Force to merge his student Ben with Qui-Gon's Padawan. Oh yes, the universe wouldn't see this coming.

~oOo~

"Master Qui-Gon, more to say, have you?" Yoda queried.

"I've discovered a vergance in the Force," the tall man said.

"A vergance, you say?" Yoda queried, interest piqued.

"Centred around a... person?" Mace questioned.

From behind Qui-Gon's shoulder, Obi-Wan gasped. All blood drained from his face and his knees buckled.

Every Master present felt the Force pressing heavily in the room, and all felt it centred on the Padawan. Only Qui-Gon was in a position to catch the young man when he began to fall, however.

"Padawan!" he exclaimed, worried, as he held his student and carefully lowered him to the floor.

"A vergance, _this_ is," Yoda said solemnly as he rose in his chair. "Master Tahl, please assist Padawan Kenobi."

"Yes, of course," the Togrutan Healer said quickly. Snapped out of the shock that had hit her with the sudden presence of the Force, thick and heavy in the room, she rushed to the Padawan's side.

Just about every master present leant forward in their seats, knowing that to likewise rush to the young man's side would simple see them being in the Healer's way.

"Padawan!" Qui-Gon called to Obi-Wan again, a trifle frantically. "Obi-Wan, look at me! You need to focus! Here and now! The present! Obi-Wan!"

"Here, now, there, then," Obi-Wan answered, eyes distant and unseeing. "All is one to the Force."

"Padawan, this is neither the time, nor the place, for debates on the aspects of the Unifying Force or the Living Force," Qui-Gon said, a part of him silently begging for his student to return to himself and be well.

"There is only The Force," Obi-Wan answered, and now his eyes began to drift shut. "Dark, Light, Unifying, Living. Mortal distinctions. Only The Force."

"Deny you, the existence of the Dark Side?" Yoda questioned carefully. "Known it is, in the Jedi Archives, though extinct now, the Sith are."

"When the Jedi become arrogant and cling to rules and Codes, instead of following the guidance of the Force, the Sith are sent again, and again, and again, to wipe clean the slate and remind us that our first duty is to the Force and none else. The Force is all that we need," Obi-Wan said as his eyes finished closing, "and the Sith have come again."

"Disturbing, this is," Yoda pronounced. "A vergance indeed, Qui-Gon."

"This isn't what I was talking about," Qui-Gon denied, though his manner was distracted. "There's a boy waiting by the door. It was my intention to present him to you to be tested. This... this has not happened before."

All around the Council room, faces became very grave indeed.


End file.
